Circumstances
by WordsAndDoodles
Summary: UPDATE! 12: Paragliding. Because every day's different, and circumstances change. A collection of one-shots based on the 30 kisses themes. Nothing if not all things ToFuu.
1. 1: Sometimes, He Wonders

So I'm using the 30 kisses themes here. I'm going to try, with all my willpower, to finish 30 ficlets/drabbles and finish all 30 themes. The reason I'm not doing it on the LJ-based community is that I don't like to commit myself to something that I _might_ not be able to finish so... But since this can stand as a collection of one-shots, rest assured that even if I don't finish all 30, it will remain complete, in a sense. :P

Title: Sometimes, He Wonders.

Pairing: Fuuko Kirisawa x Tokiya Mikagami

Rating: K

Theme: #18, "Say ahh..."

Word Count: 1000 (yay!)

Warnings: Mild OOC-ness.

Disclaimer: I don't and won't ever own FoR. Sometimes, I wish I could though. :P

* * *

Sometimes, he wonders how she can just barge into his home and stick her cheery face into his business. And sometimes, he wonders why he isn't infuriated, considering how he's known to be anti-social.

Sometimes, he wonders if he can just walk out of her life, so that once again, he'll be able to go back to the being the loner that he is, away from her prying eyes. And sometimes, he wonders if he'll actually take the opportunity if he's given the chance to do so.

He did try to ignore her earlier this morning, but she kept ringing the damned doorbell (he now regrets having it installed) like it was the end of the world. He figured that he should just stand up, open the door and shut it again in front of the girl's face. Not that said girl could take a hint, so she just pushed the button again, over and over, until his ears hurt.

It took him a full thirty minutes before he finally realized that there was just no way to throw her out of his house.

And so, the clock reads fifteen minutes past eight, and the morning finds him sitting groggily in the kitchen, watching her move for the sake of keeping his kitchen in a good (if not in the best) condition.

She says she wants to try making breakfast.

With all the restrain for violence in the world that he can muster, he derides, "I don't remember my kitchen being a cooking school for monkeys."

And she just laughs at him like he's making a joke and proceeds to check his fridge for whatever ingredients she's going to use.

Sometimes, he wonders how she can tick him off so much; make him feel something other than self-hate. And sometimes, he wonders why everything seems to lighten up when she's around, like she's a box of crayons ready to color everything that's black and white.

Of course, it isn't a date (well, it really isn't a date) with the purple-haired girl without their usual banters about everything silly. And as per protocol, that, they do. He tries to keep it down though, because the girl may become too engrossed with their discussion that she may forget that she's trying to _burn _his house down with her attempt to cook.

"Hah! It's finished!"

Secretly, he's surprised and relieved that there are no casualties and liabilities in the entire fifteen minutes that she was _experimenting_.

That doesn't mean though that he stopped worrying about the actual food.

So when she serves the food and shoves it right in front of him, he can't help but stare at it for a _very_ long time. Not only because it may have poison in it, but also because the plate only contains eggs and a toast.

"Eggs?" He asks, his eyebrow twitching dangerously, as if she has done something very ridiculous and insulting.

She nods. "Anything wrong with that?"

He looks at her disbelievingly and wonders if the girl in front of him is for real.

Sometimes, he wonders how she can be so unbelievingly shallow yet adorable. And sometimes he wonders why he just thought of her as adorable, which to him, is just so wrong in ways more than one.

"You..." And he pauses, trying with all his might to restrain himself from strangling her.

"You disrupted my sleep... just so you can practice cooking eggs??" His tone goes a bit higher than usual.

And of course, being the jolly, ebullient girl that Fuuko Kirisawa is, he becomes definitely, surely, positively, and undoubtedly ignored as she takes the fork, slices a part of the egg and takes it in front of his mouth. "Mi-chan, say ahh..."

Sometimes, he wonders if it's just coincidence that he always feels forgiving when she's around. And sometimes, he wonders if he should just let it go and willingly let her in to his life.

Though quite unwillingly (well, not really), he opens his mouth and takes in the food, chewing ever so slowly to make sure there's nothing in it that will give him stomach aches later.

"How is it?"

"Usual eggs."

"But they're filled with love!"

Of course, he knows she's kidding, it's just her way in attempting to catch him off-guard. He rolls his eyes like he always does to respond to her efforts of fazing him.

She sits herself down beside him, slicing another part of her cooking and puts it to her mouth. She grins, giving Mikagami a v-sign. "This is the best thing I've ever cooked."

"Well, considering how you've always burned the kitchen when you attempt to cook..."

And she punches him playfully, albeit quite hardly too, on his arms, sticking her tongue out like a kid.

Sometimes, he wonders how she can put up with him despite his lack of politeness and civility towards her. And sometimes, he wonders why he thinks he's not trying hard enough to push her away.

Being the man that he is, Tokiya Mikagami leans forward.

Of course, the girl's just too busy with being happy about her cooking that she doesn't notice the man's actions until his face is just a few centimeters away from hers, from which point she starts panicking. She doesn't know what to do, so she shuts her eyes close, tilting her head downward to avoid what seems to be a gesture for a kiss.

Seeing this, Mikagami smirks and stops. "Kirisawa, I was just going to whisper that I've had much better, so you can stop dreaming now," he declares before standing up from his seat and leaving the kitchen.

Sometimes, he wonders if he's just toying with her to get his revenge for intruding in his life. And sometimes he wonders, the same way he's wondering right now, if he should just drop the act and kiss her crazy.

Morning finds Tokiya Mikagami nonchalantly walking out of the kitchen with a satisfied smirk, leaving one Fuuko Kirisawa flustered.

A/N: Of course I know I have two other fics waiting to be updated, but cut me some slack and lemme make this anyway. =P They'll all be finished... someday. Yeah.

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Reviews make my day. It makes me wanna write. It makes me feel guilty when I don't update for a long time. So yeah. Will you pretty please click the review button below? *puppy dog eyes*


	2. 2: Moment's Predicament

Title: Moment's Predicament  
Pairing: Fuuko Kirisawa x Tokiya Mikagami  
Rating: K+  
Theme: #7, Superstar  
Word Count: 300  
Warnings: Exaggeration. Just exaggeration. :P  
Disclaimer: I don't and won't ever own FoR. Sometimes, I wish I do though. :P

* * *

It really isn't new to her.

The sight of him being surrounded by the female population whenever he's in a public place is not even close to strange, given his undeniably stunning, dashing looks. He's definitely a head-turner, and heaven knows how much he's always struggled to escape from his swooning fan girls.

She even remembers a time when practically half of the student body (fan girls and fan boys alike) waited for him at the school gate. Poor bloke almost ran out of oxygen when they started throwing themselves at him.

And so, there really is nothing in this moment's predicament that is out of ordinary.

So why, pray tell, is she feeling a slight pang in her chest right now, when everyone's around him, enveloping him with all their attention?

And why, oh why, is she walking towards the crowd, paving a way towards him and pulling him out of the situation oh-so-protectively?

If the fates are being cruel today, she doesn't know, but when she finds herself being pushed by these _suckers_, and being accidentally shoved closer to him, she curses all of them, every last one of them, to eternal damnation.

But push even more, these people does.

And she finds her lips pressing against his cheek ever so gently, her eyes growing wider as soon as contact is made.

The suckers, much to her chagrin, clearly see the moment's predicament, and stop all their actions as they too, become mortified. And they all just stand there very still, clearly astonished at the sight, and looking as if a few seconds equal eternity.

And clearly, the moment's predicament tells her, in quite a way she will never, ever forget, that the fates are out and about today, hunting them towards bewilderment, and maybe, possibly, towards love.

* * *

Heh, I can't believe I finished another one. This is way shorter, but I intended for it to be shorter. This is just a picture in my head, a much exaggerated picture in my head, projected into words. I hope you like it. :)

Reviews make my day, so please, please click that review button and give me a shout. :)


	3. 3: Asking You, Asking Me

Title: Asking You, Asking Me  
Pairing: Fuuko Kirisawa x Tokiya Mikagami  
Rating: K+  
Theme: #5, "Ano sa.." ("Hey, you know..")  
Word Count: 610  
Warnings: Cliché-ness. :P  
Disclaimer: I don't and won't ever own FoR. Sometimes, I wish I do though. :P

* * *

"Tokiya!"

Now that sounds quite foreign to him.

He stops his tracks and wheels himself around to face the direction where the voice came from.

Well, what a surprise. His name suddenly shifts from being foreign to being just completely weird now, especially because it came from the purple-haired girl who had given him the hideous nickname, 'Mi-chan', much to his utter vexation.

She finally catches up to him, abruptly stopping to regain her breath.

He stands there, eyebrows raised as he waits for her to regain her composure.

"..."

Well, she's certainly taking her time now, doesn't she?

"If you don't—"

"Ano sa.." She starts, cutting him off, as she straightens her back. She's visibly fidgeting, as if she's about to say something really ridiculous and embarrassing. The sight's not something that anyone can see everyday, as Fuuko is almost never shy.

And he just looks at her expectantly, as he thinks an interjection will prompt her to run away from him, leaving him bewildered and wondering, which is not exactly a good thing, since he doesn't like complexities and puzzles that he has an inkling he can't solve. If they're just numbers or figures or something that ends in '–logy' which sounds scientific, then that's fine, but puzzles regarding emotions or feelings or _friends_? No can do.

"Don't laugh, okay?" She asks, pleads even. And that actually takes him by surprise.

"I almost always _never_ laugh, Kirisawa," He states in a matter-of-factly tone.

She laughs nervously. "Right."

And he sees her take a deep breath, three times, before she opens her mouth to say something he thought he'll never hear her say. Well, at least not to him anyway.

"Excuse me?" He asks.

And she groans, as if he just asked something that is unforgivable to ask. "Come on, Mi-chan, don't make me repeat myself."

And he stares at her, as if telling her that he sincerely doubts that he heard what he just heard.

She sighs in defeat, making up a quick explanation in her mind to what she's about to say again. "Ijustaskedyoutokissme," she says quickly, wanting to just get over it and move on.

"It's just that we had a game of truth or dare last night and I felt bad because I didn't do what they asked me to do when they all did what has been given to them." She supplies breathlessly, as if he will understand even better if she talks fast.

"They asked you to ask me to kiss you?"

"No! I mean, yes! I mean, no, no, no! They just told me to—"

And she finds herself unable to clarify and elaborate on the situation as he holds her by the shoulders and kisses her, softly, like her lips was a very fragile and sacred thing.

"—kiss you," She unconsciously finishes as he pulls away from her.

"You're too talkative for your own good, _Fuuko,_" He replies, and his lips curve into an arrogant smirk. It's about high time he returns the favor for calling him Tokiya earlier, he thinks.

And then, just around the corner, a mixture of laughter and gasps echoes.

Well, way to ruin the moment, they always say.

Of course Mikagami heard it. And of course he recognizes whose voices they were from. Truth or dare _last night _his foot, they're still playing it right now! He shoots a glare at the corner. How can he have missed the plain fact that there's just no point in Fuuko continuing the dare when the rest aren't there to _marvel_ at the scene?!

Truth or dare. God, how much they all _love_ that game.

* * *

Tch. Tokiya should just admit he loved the kiss. :P

This one's a bit hurried. I'll be busy (as of now, 3 reports, one long exam, and 2 other assignments, 1 prob set) starting today until Friday next week, so I really wanted to give you 3 little one-shots for now. :) Expect the 4th one to be posted maybe on the 24th or 25th. ;)

Reviews make my day, really. So can you please click the review button and drop me a line? :)


	4. 4: Away From Him

Title: Away From Him  
Rating: K+  
Theme: #25, Fence  
Word Count: 450  
Warnings: OOC-ness, perhaps? :P  
Standard disclaimers apply.

* * *

_Her_ Mi-chan has always been a jerk. That, she knows.

He would always ignore her, would always comment something rude to make her feel less worthy of his time, would always tell her to just bug off and mind her business. He always knows the right strings to pull in order to piss her off big time. But of course, to her, that was perfectly and normally fine.

Fuuko Kirisawa sighs and knocks on a door all too familiar to her. She bites her lips, wondering if she's really doing what she wants. _Please, don't let me chicken out at the last second._

The thing about that is, she doesn't know why she's okay with all his attempts to push her away, to drive her to find her own sulking corner. And she doesn't know why she's giving a tremendous amount of effort to penetrate the barrier that keeps him walled in, despite all the unwelcoming feeling that he's giving off.

And she doesn't know why, despite all her hard work, there's still a towering fence keeping him away. It's just not low enough for her to be able to climb and jump over to the other side. Whenever she sees a door to entering his life, it always turns out to be just a painted door on concrete. An illusion, perhaps, brought about by her desire to reach out to him.

"Kirisawa. What's it now?"

But of course, a person can only take as much. Today's the day when she says she's had enough. She's giving up. She's giving up on him. She's just too tired.

"Mi-chan... No, Mikagami, I'm going to give you a hug, okay?"

And without waiting for a response, she envelopes him in an embrace.

She lingers in the warmth for a few seconds, until finally letting him go, slowly, like she's afraid of what she's actually going to do. She knows it's time for her to leave him be, and take a rest that she really deserves, but she's still hesitant, knowing full well that this may be the end of the friendship, if their relationship can actually be called that, she so carefully held on to for the past years.

"I'm... I'm leaving you be. Goodbye, Tokiya," She declares softly, leaning forward to give him a light peck on the cheek.

And she stands there for a few more seconds, watching his face turn from being surprised, to being dumbfounded, and to just being... sorrowful, maybe?

She bites her lips, once again, before taking a step back. She closes her eyes and turns around completely.

"I'll... really miss you, you know."

And Kirisawa Fuuko runs as fast as she can, away from him.

* * *

Here's the 4th installment, as promised. I feel like something's off with this. But blah.. I hope you guys enjoyed it anyway.

I'm contemplating on making an installment following Tokiya's thoughts and feelings regarding this situation, that's why I didn't include any immediate detailed reaction from him on this one, a companion fic perhaps? So there... Please don't kill me..?

Reviews really make my day, you know. :)


	5. 5: Assurance

A/N: Well, I'm gonna use past tense here for a change. In the first four installments, I used present tense (or did you not notice? lol).. not that it's important. This is a companion fic to the 4th installment, "Away From Him", but it can stand on its own. Oh, and this is dedicated to all those who wanted to know Mi-chan's thoughts on the 4th one and to everyone who has taken the time to review. You guys make me really happy. :) I luff you all from the bottom of my heart. 3

Sometimes, we need someone to assure us that everything will work out in the end. And sometimes, that's all that we need. :)

Title: Assurance  
Rating: K+  
Theme: #13, Excessive Chain  
Word Count: 856  
Warnings: OOC! Mi-chan. But you'll forgive me anyway, right? :P  
Standard disclaimers apply.

"And I hope that you'll know that nature is so  
The same rain that draws you near me.  
Falls on rivers and land, on forests and sand,  
Makes the beautiful world that you'll see in the morning.  
Everything's fine in the morning.  
The rain'll be gone in the morning.  
But I'll still be here in the morning."

~ Vienna Teng, _Lullaby for a Stormy Night_

_

* * *

  
_

He didn't know how long he had been sitting there. He was drenched, and he was weary. Somewhere inside him, a feeling called loneliness emerged, devouring his soul, little by little.

In those moments that felt like forever, he was desperately trying to find the answer to the overly (and depressingly) cliché question that everybody asks when they come back to a state of emptiness. _Where did I go wrong? What the fuck did I do?_

"_Mi-chan... No, Mikagami, I'm going to give you a hug, okay?"_

_He doesn't know why, but aside from being surprised, somewhere in his heart, he feels something tug on to his very soul. Is it, perhaps, fear and anxiety?_

He was aware of the prying eyes of the few random people passing by. He wasn't sure whether or not he was okay with it, but he couldn't really care less. He knew they were whispering, but as soon as the words escape from their lips, they were quickly drowned by the sound of the rain hitting the hard, cold pavement._  
_

Memories flashed in his head like snapshots overlapping, one on top of another.

"_I'm... I'm leaving you be. Goodbye, Tokiya," She declares softly, leaning forward to give him a light peck on the cheek._

_And then, he realizes, he wants her to tell him, just this once, that she's kidding._

God, how he wanted to erase that memory so badly.

"_I'll... really miss you, you know."_

_He stares at her retreating figure, until he can no longer see her. All of the sudden, his knees feel weak._

Tokiya Mikagami realized, albeit quite lately, how her presence meant so much to him. It had been a week since the incident, and somehow, everything still felt like yesterday. The situation kept playing in his mind, over and over, mocking him. He punched the coarse, granular bench he was sitting on, pushing his clenched fist downward as forcefully as he can until his hands bled.

"Onee-chan..." He mumbled.

It felt like all the heartaches and despair from the last nineteen years had already taken its toll on him. And it felt like his only way out, his only hope, was taken away from him. And it pained him all the more to know that it was by his own hands that his only chance of getting out of that misery went away. At that moment, he just felt so dead.

It is an ethically grey area, that which they call spiritual death, or something to that effect. And for a moment he wondered - How down must one feel in order for his soul to be considered dead?

"Onee-chan.. I was.." He paused, what should he tell her?

"Was such a... jerk." He closed his eyes, smiling bitterly.

And then, the rain stopped.

He opened his eyes to look up. A flash of purple greeted his moist eyes. The staccato of the rain sounding ever as dull, droplets continued to pour.

"Mikagami..."

Fuuko was in front of him, holding an umbrella.

"You... You're getting yourself sick."

She bit her lip and looked at his eyes. A shade of red in his blue orbs told her that he's tearing up. And for split second, she thought she saw him locked in excessive chains.

A tear cascaded down his face. She then realized that her seeing of the shackles surrounding him may not be too far-fetched after all.

The bitterness that was in his features... the sorrow in his eyes – she had never seen anything quite like that before. Then everything started to make sense. His wound... it was something that surpassed the tearing of the flesh; it was the tearing of the heart, and the shattering of the soul – _his_ soul.

She couldn't bring herself to utter a single word that may hurt him all the more. A part of her argued that she needed to get him out of that state - that she needed to tell him something, anything that may ease his sorrow even for a bit, but another part reminded her that she needed to let him go.

"S-stay," He croaked, out of impulse, and out of utter loneliness.

"I-I'm sorry," He continued, his head hanging low.

Fuuko just couldn't help it anymore. She kicked the part of her that wanted to abandon him to oblivion and let go of the umbrella, embracing him in her own warmth, reassuring him that everything would be fine.

And the tears that should have fallen years ago just started to all come out that instant. Tokiya circled his arms around her waist, his faced buried, silently crying and getting all the piled up misery out of his system.

"Sshh.. it would be all right, Mi-chan. I-I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have said all that stuff."

She kissed his forehead like a mother would to her weeping child. And he felt, for the first time in a long while, that everything would end up well.

"F-Fuuko?"

"Hmm..?"

"T-thank you," He murmured in between his salty tears.

"Mmm-hmm... Everything's gonna be all right," She reassured him.

Finally, he let the rain cleanse his soul.

* * *

A/N: I totally suck now, don't I? Okay, you're free to shoot me. I'm sorry if I didn't do Mi-chan's or Fuu-chan's characters justice in this fic. You're free to send me hate mails, PM's or reviews. I'm really sorry if this fic isn't good enough. :(

I know I suck at these kind of stuffs (I always end up making them reconcile all too quickly), but I'm hoping that you'll still make a review, you know. :P


	6. 6: Spend a Little More Time

A/N: Ahem. I haven't been gone for too long now have I? *cough*Bety'allmissedme*cough* In any case, here's another one-shot. Ooh, and someone makes an appearance. I wonder who? :P The next one will prolly be posted after Valentine's already... since.. well, I have a couple of exams staring down at me, threatening to kick me out of my course. Lol. But I'm hoping I can post the next one a bit earlier.. if time permits. :)

Title: Spend a Little More Time  
Rating: K+  
Theme: #27, Overflow  
Word Count: 1000 (yay! Again)  
Warnings: OOC-ness... like always.  
Standard disclaimers apply.

* * *

Damn, he knew he wouldn't be able to finish his homework. Whenever Fuuko's around, he always seems to work slower than usual. He wonders if it has anything to do with her endless chatter that may be disturbing his concentration.

"Mi-chan! I'll see you later!"

And with that, she skips away from his sight, like a little child taking her leisure walk at the park. Tokiya suppresses the smile that's threatening to form on his face, just in case anyone's watching. Not that smiling's a crime, he thinks as an afterthought. But he knows how things are, and he rarely smiles.

Smart move, actually, as just a moment later he finds himself side by side by an 'anyone' that he hasn't imagined seeing since... since when, exactly? He can't even remember. But just the same, he says, like a programmed computer designed to answer an impending question, "If you're looking for Fuuko, she just left."

"It's nice to know that you guys are on the first name basis now," Said 'anyone' starts, before pausing, choosing his words carefully. He knows full well that Mikagami isn't the nicest person to have around anyway. "Actually, I came here to talk to you."

The former ensui master raises an eyebrow, but whatever trail of thought he has in his head is soon drowned by his guest's next words.

"She's really happy, you know."

"Excuse me?"

"Fuuko. She's happy with you."

_ Is she really?_ He wonders where the assumption came from. It's not like he can just assume that she's really happy with Tokiya just by being able to see her a bit earlier now, does he?

"I don't know about that."

And his companion shakes his head, before looking squarely back at Mikagami with a small smile gracing his lips. "Of course," The other man says, in a way that the silver-haired man knows so well – in a matter of factly tone.

"Of course you don't know," He continues, still with that knowing smile on his face, which is starting to get on Tokiya's nerves.

"Just like how _she_ doesn't know if you're also happy with her."

Tokiya decides to stay silent. He doesn't really know where this conversation, albeit his participation isn't quite evident, is going. The thing about this situation that he doesn't understand is why he feels obligated to hear what the other man has to say, despite the fact that he can just go back in to his abode and shut the door close. After all, he can do that and just get away with the act like nothing happened.

"Just like how you don't know that _you_ _are_, quite understandably, _actually_ _happy with her_," The man in awkward clothing carries on, making sure that he emphasized the last part to add an impression on the listener's head. If he has any purpose in talking to the man-who-can't-be damned, it is to make sure that Fuuko will get the happiness that she so fully deserves, if not for his own.

"How can you be so sure of all of this? It's not like you know her or _me, _for that matter, so well, Raiha," Mikagami finally declares, starting to feel vexed, because of all the uninvited emotions and realizations overflowing, like pieces of puzzle putting themselves together finally, like meaning filling up his rather empty life, if not because of the knowing look in his companion's face.

Raiha chuckles softly, before saying, "I can't believe I'm telling you this..." He pauses for a while and takes a deep breath. "You just can't push her out of your life. And it doesn't seem like you're trying hard enough. You cater to her whims. And though you try to look grumpy and unwilling, you spend time with her, time that you would otherwise just use to answer, perhaps, your homework."

"Mikagami, her face always lights up when she's with you. And I know how different her face glows when you're around. I should know," He whispers the last part. It was almost inaudible, but Tokiya's ears are rather sharp.

"Why tell me all this?" The silver-haired man asks, but as he turns to look at Raiha once more, he finds that the man's already gone. A slight breeze tosses his hair around as he takes a deep breath instead, a few locks kissing his forehead gently.

"Tell you what, Mi-chan?"

That voice.

And now Tokiya faces a dilemma he's not supposed to be facing thanks to Raiha. His mind is a mess. He feels like he won't be able to look at Fuuko in the same way again. He never knew feelings and emotions like these can feel so foreign. How come he never noticed how much he's changed? How close they've been?

"_..you__ spend time with her, time that you would otherwise just use to answer, perhaps, your homework."_

"Are you... Are you happy? ...With me?" He blurts out a moment too soon, before he can even phrase his sentence to imply the question subtly. And just as soon, he starts to feel like a complete idiot who just asked a stranger to marry him.

"O-on second thought, forget about t-that. Why are y-you back here?" He mends. Who says taking back a question is easy? The words will forever be etched on her mind, damn it. His train of thoughts is a wreck, and he curses Raiha under his breath.

The purple haired girl blinks a few times, not seemingly able to digest what he just said. And as expected, the first question rings repeatedly on her head like a bell being pulled on a Sunday morning.

"I don't really know why I came back but..." She pauses.

"Maybe I'm here... Maybe I ought to be here.."

A smile on her lips.

"To, perhaps, answer the question before the last one."

Screw his homework. Forget about the possibility that someone may be watching.

He gestures for her to come in, to maybe spend a little more time, and smiles.

* * *

I feel like something's missing here. Perhaps a bit hurried. Perhaps I've lost my touch in writing (if ever I actually had any) because of all the time-constrained, deadline-filled days that university life has thrown towards my way.

In any case, reviews are always appreciated. And I promise to do better next time. :)


	7. 7: Stopping Denials

A/N: Can you believe this? Can you believe I'm posting another one? Can you believe I'm using my study time to write? I know right? I can't believe it either. :P

Title: Stopping Denials  
Rating: K+  
Theme: #26, If Only I Could Make You Mine  
Word Count: 618  
Warnings: Is it OOC? Honestly, I don't think it is. But blah. Just in case. :)  
Standard disclaimers apply.

* * *

It takes him by surprise how much he thinks of her as something precious and delicate. Shocking as it is to outsiders (not that anyone knows how he thinks of her, but he digress), he actually feels the need to protect her sometimes. He longs for her presence when she doesn't visit him in days, and worries that she may have become bored and tired of him, that she doesn't find him interesting anymore. But of course, no one knows that, and even he, doesn't admit that to himself fully.

He sometimes wonders if he can just keep her forever.

But soon as the thought crosses his mind, he shakes his head and takes a deep breath, focusing instead on other things to distract himself. The thought crosses him like he's in love with her. But of course that can't happen... right?

A knock on the door.

He stands up immediately and rushes towards the door, excitement running through his veins. He fights the urge to smile, just in case that will give him away.

"Mi-chan!"

And she hugs him tightly, and he feels a familiar adrenaline rush, energy filling him up. He embraces the warmth it gives him and slides an arm around her waist... but not too tightly.

God, if only he could make her his. And for a moment, he realizes he really means that.

He breathes in the scent of her hair. She pulls back, still wearing the cheerful smile on her face.

"Just thought I'd stop by. Bet you missed me," She says with a bit of an air, but he doesn't care. She's been away for days. Darn her pile of homework. But of course he won't say that aloud. He's smart. And he loves school. Or so they thought.

"But I have to go. I promised Recca and Domon to come with them today and buy a gift for Ganko. You know, birthday's coming and all," She explains and pats him on the shoulders.

His face fell. It dawns upon him that she sees this when her eyebrows meet in a frown. "Maybe some other time, Mi-chan. Meh, I'm sure you'll do extra fine without me right?" She feigns hurt before giving a cheeky grin.

He wants to tell her to stay, but that will be too selfish of him. Even if he wants her to be his, he knows full well that no one really wholly belongs to some body else. But he knows, or at least he hopes, that a part of her soul, even just one tiny bit, belongs to him. You start to care for another person, and you know you just won't be able to carry on without having a part of her with you. And he knows that.

"You don't even have to ask. I'm always fine alone," He says and then he realizes that it's all a big lie. Well, he's certainly full of surprises today. No, scratch that, he's full of recognitions and insights today. Is it because it's the first time he ever felt so alive since who-knows-when?

She waves him goodbye and he nods before closing the door, all too quickly actually, that he's afraid she may take it the wrong way. But surely she's not that shallow?

"_Mi-chan!'_ The name kisses his ears and for a moment he thought she's back. But of course, he knows her cheerful voice and happy face doesn't only belong to him. His only consolation is that the 'Mi-chan' which comes from her lips always belongs to him and him alone.

He leans on the door frame and covers a part of his face with a hand.

_God, if only I can make her mine._

_

* * *

_See how much I luff you guys?! :P

Anyway, is it any good? In any case, reviews are always appreciated. ;)


	8. 8: Captured Moments

A/N: Belated Happy Valentine's day, everyone. I hope you were happy during the hearts' day, whether you're married, dating or single. :P Anyway, here's a valentine's episode, albeit already 2 days late. :)

Btw, Thank you to all those who has reviewed the last chapter. You guys made me soooo, soooo... soooo to nth power happy. :)

Title: Captured Moments  
Rating: K+  
Theme: #1, Look over Here  
Word Count: 538  
Standard disclaimers apply.

* * *

It was a cold winter morning when Yanagi suggested that they should go out, act like the teenagers that they really are, and have fun in the snow once before spring comes back again. The subtlety of the ending winter left them wondering if they should patiently wait for the crisp flowers and greeneries in spring before they go outside and have a daytrip or not. The healer decided on the latter, and sure enough, despite the lack of the reds and yellows and greens in the environment, the white sheet covering the ground brought them a familiar feeling of warmth, youth, and childhood. And not a moment too soon, they started throwing snowballs and building a snowman with oversized scarves around their necks.

"Oi, Mi-chan! Look over here!"

Tokiya turns his head to look at where Fuuko Kirisawa's voice came from with an annoyed look on his face, feeling a bit irritated because he was disturbed from helping Ganko and Koganei build a fat scarecrow without a hat using snow, which was more commonly called a snowman.

_Click!_ Goes the sound of the shutter.

The purple-haired girl giggled as she checked his photograph on her digital camera.

Tokiya grumbled before walking towards her, peering over her side to look at his picture as well. Surely he doesn't look all that bad and... childlike, right? He rolled his eyes when the girl just continued to giggle. "Since when did you start becoming a shutterbug anyway, Kirisawa?"

She inhaled deeply to calm herself from her fits of giggle and looked at him. "Since you started building that snowman with Ganko-chan and Kaoru-kun like a little child hungry for play," She answered while positioning the screen of the camera in front of his face.

He scrutinized the picture and she added, "You looked as if you're having a lot of fun. I just wanted to..." She trailed. She just wanted to what, exactly?

His lips started to curve into a small grin when he saw himself looking innocent and surprised with a half-finished snowman beside him and two other youngsters in the photo. "...Preserve the rare moment, perhaps?" He finished for her, his face looking softer by the second. He took the camera from her hand and extended his arms, shifting the camera so that the lens faced them.

_Click!_

It took Fuuko a few seconds before her mind registered what he did. And by the time it did dawn upon her that a new photograph was taken, he was already only a few inches from her, softly whispering on her ears, "Happy Valentine's Day, _Fuuko_."

And he jogged back to where Kaoru and Ganko were, finding playmates in the person of those two youngsters.

Meanwhile, the purple-haired girl scrambled to push the review button on her imaging device. A stunning couple was in the image: he, grinning like he was having a lot of fun, and she, looking surprised as she took a glance at his bright face. She bit her lip before a radiating and genuine smile formed on her lips. She felt a surge of sugar and energy run through her body.

She brushed her lips softly on the screen.

"Happy Valentine's day to you too, Tokiya."

* * *

Ermm.. My interest kinda dwindled down near the end so... Was it crappy? Gah. I'm really sorry. I hope you enjoyed reading it anyway. :)

Reviews are always appreciated. ^^,


	9. 9: Sweet Scent of Beginnings

Hey guys! Been gone for awhile now, haven't I? Sorry, the last few weeks of the school year were a bit cruel and left me brain dead. :P Anyway, here's a new installment for everyone. Enjoy reading! :)

Title: Sweet Scent of Beginnings  
Rating: K+  
Theme: #11, Gardenia  
Warning: A few Japanese words/phrases/sentences in here. Translations are at the end of this post. :)  
Word Count: 485  
Standard disclaimers apply.

* * *

Spring is the symbol of beginnings. It has probably always been for everyone.

Everyone, except for Mikagami Tokiya.

Just as much as things begin in spring, things also end in this season. People graduate and a school year ends... and then starts again. Spring has been an ethically gray area for him. It has both been the beginning and the end.

"Ne, Mi-chan."

The amount of colors present overwhelms him to a certain degree. Orange. Yellow. Red. Green. Blue... Purple.

"Don't you... Sometimes think we started with the wrong foot?"

Purple never ceases to catch his attention. Today's not promising to be any different.

"Nanda yo.. kyuu ni?" Today, he's feeling different... How different is currently out of question. Whether or not it has anything to do with the current season, he doesn't know.

"Ii ka, Let's be good friends from now on."

He doesn't know how it happened, but she's only a few centimeters apart from him now. Walking side by side is okay, but with this distance, he's starting to feel uneasy. "Huh?"

She strides faster and then stops in front of him, facing him. Biting her lip, she takes a deep breath and then smiles. Looking at him with boastful eyes, she says, "I'll be a good friend. So be sure that you be one too!"

"Have you been taking drugs?"

"Huh?! Come on, now! We always bicker and shout every five or so minutes."

A centimeter.

"We call each other names!"

Another centimeter.

"We've been glaring at each other for the past how many years."

Half a centimeter.

"Shojiki ni itte..."

One-third of a centimeter.

"A four year old kid is more mature than us!"

His eyebrows furrow as he looks back at her squarely. He wonders if it's just his imagination, but he thinks her face is getting closer to his by the second. He looks down.

"I like things the way they are right now."

Spring is the symbol of beginnings. It has probably always been for everyone.

Everyone, except for Mikagami Tokiya.

For him, this is the first time he tosses aside his ethically gray views of the season. This is the beginning.

Gently swaying along with the passing wind, the colorful flowers greet the new day in bloom. The lush, cool green once again makes the winter withered trees come back to life. In contrast to the chilly and harsh winter, spring gives a fresh and soothing air of kindness.

Tokiya swallows hard. He inhales sharply and momentarily closes his eyes.

One. Two.

He returns her gaze once again.

"And Kirisawa?"

"Hmm?"

"Chikai."

"Eh?!" The innocent fact that their faces are millimeters away finally reaches her.

A small smirk forms on his face. He walks past a flustering Fuuko, but not before whispering, "Things are always fun this way."

The sweet scent of spring finally kisses their souls with a gentle promise of happiness and great beginnings.

* * *

Once again, something's lacking. I don't know what exactly. Meeeeh.

Translation notes (just rough translations):

"Nanda yo.. kyuu ni?" – "What is this so suddenly?"  
"Ii ka?" – In this case, it means, "Listen" or "Look"  
"Shojiki ni itte..." – "Honestly..."/ "To tell you honestly..."  
"Chikai." – In this case, "Too close."

Heavily influenced by the environment here in Tokyo. My vacation's a juggle between watching Japanese variety shows and dramas and going out during the weekends. Maaaah. I know spring has started way back in April.. but forgive me anyway. Hehe. :)

Reviews make me happy. :3


	10. 10: An Encounter with Embarrassment

Title: An Encounter with Embarrassment  
Pairing: Fuuko Kirisawa x Tokiya Mikagami  
Rating: T  
Theme: #3 – Jolt!  
Word Count: 720  
Warnings: OOC-ness..? I don't really know what to make of this. Heh. :P No one proofread this, so all the errors are mine.  
Disclaimer: I don't and won't ever own FoR. Sometimes, I wish I do though. :P

~~…~~

He is surprisingly careless.

At least, that's what she thinks now that she's sitting on his sofa, holding a bag of chips while watching the getsu9 show on Fuji TV.

Tokiya opens the bathroom door and steps outside. Hearing the sound of a door being opened, she turns her head, about to say a greeting. But the moment she catches sight of him, the words dissolve and her eyes widen.

Suddenly, a gasp echoes through the walls of Tokiya's humble abode. He, in turn, takes a step back in surprise. Surely, he isn't just imagining things, right? And as an afterthought, why in heaven's name will this scenario cross his mind, anyway? He looks at her with disbelieving eyes. And as an afterthought to that after thought, what the hell is she doing at _his_ home, sitting on _his_ sofa and eating _his_ chips, getting all comfy?!

"Kirisawa…"

_Mikagami. Naked. _Truth is, he's only half-naked, but the fact that his lower body is only covered by a loosely wrapped towel clouds her perception of the real world. She stares at him in horror… and in awe. She was just innocently having a relaxing time. She just wanted to innocently give him a surprise visit (even if she knew he wouldn't like it, but that's the fun part).

"Kirisawa!" He says loudly. How many times does he need to call her to snap out of shock?

She regains her senses in that last one. "Erm. Y-yo, Mi-chan..!"

"What do you mean 'yo'?!" Mikagami says in a dangerous tone. "How in the world did you get in?!"

"I-I was… well… I k-knocked on the door a hundred times, b-but there was n-no answer! The d-door was open s-so…" She says, wanting to avoid stuttering but failing horribly. Well, a thousand girls will want to trade places with her. She was in a position where she doesn't know if she should be sorry or embarrassed… or honored, for that matter.

"I was taking a bath!" He retorts, vexed at her utter boldness. Not that he is without fault. He did leave the door open. He was, and still is, preoccupied with a lot of things.

Fuuko takes a deep breath. "Okay, I'm sorry, Mi-chan. Won't happen again. Pinky swear!" She says, shooting him a sheepish smile but giving him a v-sign anyway. "Err… Want some chips?"

She is offering him his chips. HIS chips! Giving an exasperated sigh, he takes the junk food away from her hands.

"H-hey! Sorry, okay? If I had known it would turn out like this…" Would she really have passed up the chance to see him bare-chested, donning a wet look? She may not be one of his fan girls, but damn it, she recognizes a good-looking, well-built person when she sees one.

Mikagami sits down on his couch and completely ignores her. She tries to catch his attention by changing the subject and talking about senseless things he thinks only monkeys find interesting. Fuuko would've continued the maddening monologue until the next century when she notices something after reaching the first twenty minutes of their very lively companionship. The girl bites her lip.

"Err, Mi-chan?"

No answer.

"Mi-chan..?"

He continues to watch the getsu9 program.

"Mi-chan~~" She calls again in a sing-song manner. It's almost as if she knows something that may endanger his pride.

…Even so, still no response.

"MI-CHAN!"

He looks at her with impatience.

The girl smirks as if she'd just trapped a fox in a cage. He narrows his eyes, apparently still annoyed at the intrusion. "Keep it short."

"Is that the new trend now?"

He raises an eyebrow.

"I guess it isn't."

"What?"

Now we're talking.

Fuuko puts on the knowing look, and all of the sudden, she stands up, pats his shoulder, then takes the chips away from him, grinning.

"If you keep that up, I might just try to kiss you... So put some clothes on, you might catch a cold."

Then, it's his turn to look petrified and, now more so than ever, stoic… in quite the literal sense.

Mikagami Tokiya runs up the stairs, probably faster than the one who holds the record as the fastest sprinter. Hearing the sound of a wardrobe being opened, Kirisawa Fuuko smirks in satisfaction.

"Now.. Let's see… Oh, crap! The show's finished!"

* * *

Here's the 10th one. I can't believe I made it to ten! Hehe. Celebrate with me. ;)

Reviews make me happy. :)


	11. 11: Word Says

Title: Word Says  
Pairing: Tokiya Mikagami x Fuuko Kirisawa  
Rating: K  
Theme: #12, In a Good Mood  
Warnings: OOC!Mikagami, OOC!Fuuko. Lack of creativity. General lack of plot.  
Word Count: 958  
Disclaimer: I don't and won't ever own Flame of Recca and its characters. Please don't sue, I'm already broke.

A/N: First off, hello, Erika here! How has everyone been? Me? Let's just say I've been set back by a year in college, and have been struggling not to fail anymore, hence the lack of updates. :) I'm so sorry, really, but I totally haven't forgotten about this project… yet. :P Note that this is the first time I've written something again in the creative department after n months (years?), so please bear with me if this is a bit plain and lacks humor and creativity.

I've no beta, all errors and typos are mine.

* * *

Word says that he's getting _softer_.

Once, they say, he actually nodded and acknowledged the presence of a lower classman who waved at him while he was on the way to his next class. Another instance, they say, they saw him signalling and kicking the soccer ball back when it went astray from the school's soccer field.

"He smiled—" A pause, as if thinking thoughtfully, "—when this little girl, Ganko, I think he called her, went for a school visit. It was just for an instance… But I definitely saw it. If it's even still possible, I think he became more handso-"

"Hanabishi, please stop talking like you're an outsider being asked for an interview. And don't even attempt at giving flattery; it comes out as more of an insult. And please do not talk while your mouth is full, I don't want spit on my food."

"—Look, he even speaks longer sentences now."

Tokiya lets out an exasperated sigh. He knew it wasn't a good idea to eat at the café, what with the spreading news and all.

A smirk forms on Hanabishi Recca's face. "Not like you haven't always been, but I'm sure you are aware right now that everyone's talking about you. They say you've become more socially able now."

Taking another bite of her food, Fuuko asks, "How many girls and boys have been added on your fan list this time? I'm sure that smile earned you at least – Recca, what the hell, slow down, you're not on an eating contest!"

"Shorry, fer'sh jusht fife moar minitsh—" He swallows, "—'til my next class. I just realized I'm running late." With that, the young man drinks quickly then stands up. "Later, you both," he says before leaving Tokiya and Fuuko.

"_Mataku_, that Recca. I say he should have his schedule tattooed on his arm," Fuuko says, finishing the last bit of her own lunch. "Well, back to the topic at hand, I'm sure that rumoured smile earned you at least—"

"62 people."

"Excuse me?"

"62 people were added to my fan list, if you want to call it that."

"Gee, I didn't know you actually care enough to count them."

"I don't. But I find a list of names of people I don't know every day on my locker. It's starting to get annoying. Today, there were 62 new people." He explains in a matter-of-fact tone as he sets aside his now empty plate. He observes her at the corner of his eyes as he wipes his mouth.

The purple haired girl blinks a few times before trying to suppress a snigger – and then failing horribly. Tokiya rolls his eyes. "It's not funny, Kirisawa. Imagine your locker being cramped everyday and failing to be of any essential use."

Fuuko grins and teases, "I'm sorry, but your fans... They never fail to astound me. I might just sign up on your official fan club just for fun." She tucks a stray lock behind her ear and starts to play with the ice cubes on the glass with her straw. "Seriously though, I think there's some truth in the speculation going around. In any case, you're being more talkative now," She adds when he didn't reply.

"Someone has got to talk and reprimand you guys for always being loud."

Fuuko smiles knowingly. He may continue to deny it, but she knows he has changed. It doesn't at all surprise her. People change, no matter how much they refuse to. What has her wondering about is what brought about his especially good mood the past few days. _Well, at least he doesn't snap at us every chance he gets now._ "So, are you spilling?"

"About what?"

"Why you're in a good mood."

"I'm not. I'm actually pissed off right now. I'm going," He says, standing up.

The girl quickly grabs his wrist and pulls him back down. "Nope, you aren't." He looks at her with his eyebrow raised. "Yes, I am. Let go."

She tightens her grip.

These actions quickly spawned some mumblings and gossips at the other tables. Fuuko then lets go.

_"Oooh. They're being friendly with each other!" "Who is she? Why is she close to Tokiya-sama?" "Oh my, she's being clingy to our Toki-chan!" "The nerve of that monkey girl! How can she even—"_

Tokiya instantly sends dagger looks to the rumourmongers. He then turns around and looks at Fuuko, and, as if a sudden realization struck him, he smirks.

The purple-haired girl raises an eyebrow. "What? Mi-chan, Don't worry about me, I'm used to—"

He suddenly takes her hand in his. Slowly, he bends down, before finally, his lips touches the back of her hand.

Sounds of shattering plates, dropped utensils, and loud gasps echo throughout the café. Fuuko, herself, is astonished and is keeping still on her seat, holding her breath. She doesn't know if this is his idea of revenge for her teasing, but it's certainly making her… feel weird. At least, her stomach's being weird. She can swear there are moving, fluttering little things in her abdomen.

He stands up, his hand still holding on to hers. "Well, okay. _I_ won't go._ We _are," He says, pulling her up. She bites her lips and follows him, all the while looking at their locked hands. Slowly, as if ravishing the feeling of everyone's head following them, they exit the place together.

Screw the rumours of him being softer.

"Aah-aah~ I knew there'll be an exciting development," A dark haired young man says, grinning as he hides himself behind one of the café pillars. "Domon will be so crestfallen when he hears about this."

Word will say that _the_ Tokiya Mikagami's got himself a girlfriend.

* * *

Translation Note(s): _Mataku –_ I don't think there's an English word that is the direct translation of this one. In this case, it's kinda like the expression, "Geez/Gee" or "Honestly/Really now" said in a very exasperated way. :P

Reviews and comments make my day. (.^_^.)


	12. 12: Paragliding

A/N: It's been more than a year, is it not? I might have grown up and moved on from the fandom a bit (clearly not all too successful, the proof being that I am here now). I've turned 20 last year, and have received an invitation letter from the Japanese government to their annual "Seijin Shiki" (Coming of Age Day) that I never got to go to. I can't believe it's been almost 10 years since I first discovered ffn and almost 8 years since I registered. Oh well, I guess there's no use in being all sentimental about it. Anyway, here's my attempt at a 12th installment.

**Title:** Paragliding  
**Pairing:** Fuuko Kirisawa x Tokiya Mikagami  
**Rating:** K  
**Theme:** #29, The Sound of Waves  
**Word Count:** 485  
**Warnings:** OOC Tokiya? Though this is set several years post-anime so. Whipped up in about an hour and hasn't been beta-ed at all. Grammatical errors and typos might turn up. Also, I may have forgotten how to write at all.  
**Disclaimer:** Still _not_ owning FoR. Shocking, I know. But that is what drives people to write fanfics, yes? :P

* * *

No one can make her calm down like he does.

Or she may have just gotten a bit of his personality rub off on her since being _with_ him. Or maybe she has just grown up a bit. The former seems more plausible—he usually points out how the rest of the gang doesn't seem to age, well, their mentalities at least. Children's minds trapped in the bodies of 20-year old adults. The years have been kind to their appearance though. They've grown from being cute to being just… stunning.

"Fuuko, you've taken down bad guys and fought in a tournament that has not been less than fatal to some. Tell me you're not afraid of paragliding." He was not known to be the most patient guy, but there is certain gentleness in his voice that only she has had the privilege to see more than once.

"Mi-chan," Fuuko said, not really liking how her heart seems to work harder at the moment. "These things have GPS or something in them right?" She asks, referring to the gears they're wearing.

"Yes."

"Okay. I'm okay. I can do this," she mumbles, taking a deep breath, but, as if having thought of something she shouldn't have, the worried look that has been gone for a moment has come back, "What if I can't remember how to fly this thing?" She won't admit it, but she thinks she may be just a teeny bit scared, not really of the part where they fly and glide through the sky, but of the thought that this may not end too well.

"We're not covering long ground, Fuuko. This is the recreational kind for tourists," Mikagami says, putting a hand on her shoulder. "If you want though, we can do this another time. I'm sure Hanabishi and the others are quite eager to have an early dinner by now." He signals for the coordinator to come. "I still can't believe he won an overnight package to one of the best beaches though."

Fuuko chuckles and takes hold of the hand Mikagami held up and pulls it down. "Well, he can pull off miracles sometimes." She squeezes his hand. "And I'm fine. You're right. They'll be out of business if this isn't safe," Fuuko continues. She turns her head, examining her surroundings, and, for the first time, stands in marvel of everything—of the sea reflecting the orange tinge the setting sun is leaving in the sky, of the birds soaring across the horizon, of the sound of waves gently hitting the base of the small island where they stood… And of the man standing before her.

"Don't worry, the water's going to catch you," Tokiya offers. He leans down to kiss her forehead.

No one can make her calm down like he does.

Fuuko nudges Tokiya's arm with hers. "I know." She smiles and looks at him. "It already caught me."

* * *

I don't really know much about paragliding. I just remembered seeing people paragliding when I was at Boracay during the holiday break. So, you know, I'm not entirely sure how they work. :P

And I'm supposed to be studying right now. Plot bunnies usually come to me at the most inconvenient times, really. I can't believe I'm actually feeding them. :P

Review for good luck? :)


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